Nov 13, 2012

Consumers prefer matching brands for products that are consumed together because they believe products from the same brand have been designed to go together, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

"How much do brand combinations affect how much consumers enjoy products that are consumed together? It seems that matching brand labels enhance enjoyment by encouraging consumers to believe that the products were tested and designed to go well together," write authors Ryan Rahinel and Joseph P. Redden (both University of Minnesota).

In one study, consumers ate Tostitos brand tortilla chips and Tostitos brand salsa but were told that the chips and salsa were various combinations of fictional brand names ("Festivity" or "Party Time"). Consumers enjoyed the chips and salsa more when told that the two foods were from the same brand.

In another study, consumers again ate Tostitos tortilla chips and salsa but were told that the chips and salsa were various combinations of "Brand A" and "Brand B." Some were told that the brands had conducted joint research and design on the two products, while others were told that the brands had coordinated on matters unrelated to taste (coupons and distribution). The latter group of consumers enjoyed chips and salsa from the same brand more than chips and salsa from different brands. However, both groups enjoyed the chips and salsa more when told that the brands had conducted joint product research and design, regardless of the brands they were told they were consuming.

"There is no universal answer to which brand a consumer likes the most. The brand a consumer prefers for a particular product depends on the brand of other products with which it is being combined. A company that offers products that are consumed together will have an advantage over other rival brands that do not offer both individual products, since consumers will want to have matching brands," the authors conclude.

Related Stories

What is it that allows some brands to succeed and some to fail? Why is it sometimes better to be first and other times more advantageous to reach the market later? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research takes a clos ...

What does it take for marketers to reach customers who are already loyal to a particular brand? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research examines brand loyalty and the way it affects perceptions of advertising.

Certain brands bring to mind particular cultures, and consumers react more positively to brand extensions when products match expectations about cultures, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. That's ...

Companies spend millions to develop their brand's personality, in hopes that it can help sell products. But they've had no way of measuring whether that personality actually appeals to consumers. Now, research from North ...

If you say you're going to buy something, you're more likely to do it. But why is that? According to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, stating an intention leads consumers to actionand makes them more l ...

A meritocracy holds that if you work hard enough, you can succeed in life, regardless of race, religion, gender or social status. But a new study from UC Berkeley suggests that, despite egalitarian efforts ...

New research from UNC's Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) reveals high-quality early education is especially advantageous for children when they start younger and continue longer. Not ...

Mobile devices as teaching tools are becoming a more and more common part of the American education experience in classrooms, from preschool through graduate school. A recent Pew Research Center survey found ...